THE PRIZE DRAW IS NOW CLOSED! WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY

Great news! EngineeringClicks is giving away some fantastic prizes, courtesy of our friends at 3Dconnexion! Below are details of the excellent pieces of kit that are up for grabs, and how you can get your hands on them.

1st prize:

2nd prize:

How to win

All you need to do to have a chance of winning is tell us about your happiest mechanical design moment. Simply add a comment belowand tell us.

It can be anything that has made you happy as a mechanical designer – getting that amazing job offer, the time you first saw something you’d designed in a shop, seeing a prototype of a particular design you’ve worked on.

Well pick the winners at random from the best answers. Last date for entry is Midnight GMT on July 31st. GOOD LUCK!

Prize draw terms and conditions:

Only members of www.engineeringclicks.com are eligible to enter.

Entries submitted must be meaningful and original. Promotional material is not allowed.

The closing date for entry into the prize draw is midnight GMT on 31st July 2016.

The prize draw will take place within 1 week of the closing date. The administrators of the EngineeringClicks will select the best contributors, and the prize winners will be picked randomly from amongst them.

Postings on our LinkedIn or Facebook groups do not count. Only postings in the designated discussion thread on www.engineeringclicks.com are considered.

The winner will be contacted by email directly after the prize draw. The winner must confirm acceptance of the prize within 1 week of notification, otherwise it will be offered to the next entry picked randomly from the remaining contestants. The prize must be accepted as offered; there is no cash alternative.

The prize will be provided and shipped by 3Dconnexion. EngineeringClicks will not be held responsible for the loss of the prize during shipment.

One of my happiest designer moments was the completion of the first installation and operation of a cargo door modification to a large aircraft. My responsibility was the design of the latching mechanism, with all the FAA mandated locks and inter-locks and safety devices, in excess of 500 drawings, and it all worked!

I was invited by a customer to design an A4 size Thermal Printer with a completely retractable platen.
I was also advised that the two engineers who were really very good, were somehow not successful.

The challenge was that the printer should continuously run 50km of thermal paper. I designed printer from scratch.
The product underwent 3 prototype cycles and the last one ran successfully for 57km of paper and still running! The customer stopped the testing at this point.

When I was at my second job out of college, I worked for IC Bus (Navistar). During one of the new bus model pilot builds, it was brought up that the rear tires were about half an inch from the floor of the body, while sitting still on the shop floor. I overheard my manager and my Chief Engineer talking about it. This model had a rear air spring suspension, so I suggested replacing the current air springs with taller air springs from one of the other bus models. My manager thought it was a good idea, so he put me in charge of this project. After about six months of learning suspensions and multiple concepts, testing and reworking, I ended up using rear suspension components from three other buses to fix the problem. All we had to do was redrill 4 holes in the frame rails to move the front leaf spring hanger forward and the problem was fixed. We named it the Frankenspension, and to this day, even though I’m not working for that company anymore, my old bosses still bring it up and tell me how well it’s doing. Saved the company about 3 million dollars in tooling,rework, testing and man hours. Best part of all; being able to point it out to whoever I’m with when I see one of those buses. I tell them I did that, and it’s the coolest thing to see my idea being used all over the country. Best feeling ever.

In 2005 I was selected for training in USA with my company, but due to cost reduction implementation projects I was selected to work to make lightweight and functional as well some driveline automotive components, and results was amazing, even I surprised my self with results, so I was awarded for this.
Basically I “played” with components removing material while modeling and I was able to remove more than 2lbs per component without affecting functionality, is good to mention that I reviewed components thru proMechanica to see FEA results.
All of this results in a huge savings for the company with more than +1M USD.
Was an amazing personal moment, am proud of it.

The best moment I have experienced as a Mechanical Engineer was when a prototype truck body I had designed was manufactured. I got to see the project through from the planning phase all the way through to product launch. It was very gratifying to see the final product installed and it continues to be built and sold with great success.

In the early 1990s, after 10 months developing a microprocessor controlled pneumatic cylinder for a prosthetic knee, during the first amputee fitting, in tears, the amputee told me it was the first time he had walked at varying speeds since his amputation many years previous. I spent the next twenty years designing prosthetic limbs.

Our team was working on a hydraulically damped suspension component and having trouble with packaging the hydro runner system (track length) to provide the damping the customer was requiring. Myself and another engineer spent days brainstorming a multi-piece plastic interlocking sealed system that was modular, efficient and a cost advantage. This system became the new standard for our company.

As a designer, and being setup with a 3D mouse has given me the freedom to really “see” the 3D solid design that could never before have been viewed in such a manner. One of the greatest advantages of 3D design and image manipulation, is the ability to show upper management and sales staff the design, people that generally don’t perceive 2D & 3D designs well, the true “look” of a completed design. They can more clearly understand and grasp what I have designed, thru image manipulation, so this has made my job far easier than ever before. I can now “sell” a design to a complete team, where they can view elements like if they were holding them in their hand. This gives me, a CAD designer, the “WOW” factor. Thank you.

The moment that comes to mind is when I found out that a product I designed was used in a prosthetic leg and the guy wearing that leg was able to rock climb again for the first time in years, because the product I designed made the leg stay on that much better and was adjustable to be able to compensate for the changes in his body during the climb.

My happiest design moment was when I received feedback regarding the use of a covert camera system I designed and fabricated by government agencies. The system was integrated into a commonly used handheld item and was used in plain sight during several interviews. Not one interviewee realized they were being taped or recorded!

My happiest as a mechanical designer moment was during my time as part of a team Baja SAE at my University of Carabobo in Venezuela, develop the design of a suspension system for an automotive prototype was a big challenge and was one of the first to make in my training as a mechanical designer, it was very pleased to see that my drawing step to become a reality and try on competition in El Paso Texas in 2014 and see that everything worked as it should and as had been thought was best of all, especially since we competed with 117 universities worldwide and see that my idea led us to the position 41 of all competitors, is an indescribable and more experience because it was made by my team and myself with more limited capabilities of materials and machinery . Thanks to the great work I’ve had offers from different companies in my country for industrial development of machinery, but my goal remains to develop more in the automotive area.

My proudest moment is when working for a leading Fire Truck Manufacturer, designing a prototype Fire Apparatus to be used by the FDNY. After meeting most of the customer’s wants & needs to be designed into the fire truck, FDNY put the rig through it’s own grueling test. It passed with flying colors & the powers to be were quite impress with the apparatus. A month later on September 11, 2001 tragedy struck this nation & rocked it’s very foundations. 3000 lives lost, many from the FDNY and dozens of rigs were destroyed when the Twin Towers fell & the fire truck I designed was put into service. I could not have been any prouder than at that moment. 4 years later, Code 3 Collectible made a replica model of the truck to be sold as limited edition collectible model (link: http://www.code3firetrucks.com/co3fdalfpuen.html).

To this day when I reflect back on those events & being able to design a fire truck for those brave men & women, I still get choked up.

So many of you do not know but last Thanksgiving morning I had a brain aneurysm, a type of stroke.
I fell down right after I took a shower and came to my bed room for the day. Totally wrecked my plans of visiting Grandma, Mom, Brothers and families, and Turkey and the Packers. Instead I was on my bed and not able to get dressed and my wife (Celeste) was in the main floor getting ready for the day. I can not tell everything that happened but I do know that my wife, friends, EMT and the St. Nicks (hospital) team must have done everything correct. They had me stabilized within an hour and a half and were transmitting me to Froedtert (hospital). The next few days are a little fuzzy but I know they did a lot of brain work and tried to keep my stroke from getting worse.
When I started to remember more clear, my face to my feet I had only my left side to work with. I was scared and overwhelmed. My right side of my body was separated from my brain and no amount of will power could make them move. Yet many coworkers, friends, family and church people were all praying for me. Doctors, nurses, specialty rehab personal, and aids, all have been pouring their professions into me. The engineer comes out in me…. I was already ahead, 60% of all brain aneurysm patients, die. I was in the upper 40 percentile. Of those 90% take a year to two years to get back to work…if ever.
My first estimate, They gave me 2 to 3 months to just be able to go home. I may be eating solid food and I may be able to walk at that time.
Today to date, I have had 4 evaluations and every time the Doctors have been amazed and proud of their work
So today is Wed July 13th 2016. I have returned to work (June 1)! I am running Creo 2 at Mercury Marine designing boat engines. I am working out daily and swimming several times a week. My right side has been SLOWLY healing but every day I seem to find something has changed from yesterday. This weekend I rode my mountain bike for the first time since the brain aneurysm.
You ask me what my happiest mechanical design moment … by the grace of God, being able to grab my mouse and draw, model and analyze my designs today.

Well the happiest mechanical design moment for me was when I finished designing the Abattoir and we started the line to check if everything is Okay, later on we ran the line with accompany the vet and the management people in real.

Everything went okay ;-)))
So far this line is working without any problem till now.

Hello,My happiest Mechanical design moment story starts 13 years ago when my father worked in a machinery workshop Machinery , and in his job they gave him an opportunity to learn CAD, he was so excited because, he used to help with changes on machinery design, but he did not accomplish that dream of learn CAD, he gets very sick and later he dies.Years later, I became an Engineer and now I work for the Aviation Industry and the last year I finished a very important modeling project and it makes me feel so happy because I imagine that work has a part of the dream of my father to design important things.Now everyday when I see my design in every engine, I see my father, This makes me feel happy and proud.Regards

My proudest moment was when i was a first year apprentice designing by own piece of equipment , following it through concept stage , initial design and final design and then having the importunity to go onto the shop floor and being involved in fabricating the product and everything fitting together.

My favorite part of any mechanical design project, is when you have the satisfaction of seeing the first prototype emerge from the printer, finish assembling your model, get your model delivered…. That is when you really see, really understand exactly what you have drawn. Yeah, sometime you see that you did something wrong, that there is a flaw, that you forgot to leave space for a screw head… But holding a real version of what you have drawn on your computer, I find that it is one of the most satisfactory things in life, and is one of the reasons why I am studying to become a mechanical design engineer (2 months to go, and I can start working!!).
My fondest moment was during my second-year internship (I’m studying at a French Engineering School). I was tasked to first design a new type of compliant actuator based on existing concepts, and then design a test bench so as to see how well reality adequates to theory. In my project group (at the LAAS-CNRS in Toulouse), I was in charge of the mechanical design of both actuator and test bench. The actuator model was already almost done when I started my internship. But after many hours of tweaking, redisigning, edge-honing… it was ready to be built. How lucky was I that at the lab, they also had a mechanical workshop. I couldn’t work on all the parts, since I wasn’t abilitated to do so, but I helped as much as I could in the building, machining… of the first prototype and lo and behold, after a month of hard work, I had a fully functionnal prototype in my hands. Words don’t suffice to explain how proud and happy I was to finally have that actuator in my hands. And even better was presenting it to my boss!
During the rest of my internship, and still today, as soon as there is a special event – open house, workshop, guests, lectures… – my prototype is taken out and passed around to showcase not only the new type of actuator, but what my boss called “a remarquable feat on mechanical engineering”. Needless to say, that is to date my proudest mechanical design accomplishment (while waiting for the parawing deployment system that I have designed for The Aerospace Company during my time at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, IL, gets deployed on Mars with a CubeSat – but that is another story that I am waiting to hear more of)

For me, it was the moment when it 'clicked'. It was the moment when I finally realised that I had a full enough mental toolbox to listen to a customers requirements for a complex system, to go away and think about it, and then some weeks later, plonk down a working prototype on their boardroom table. To get there meant little to the customer, but for me it meant everything.It was when all of the discrete skills that we all acquire along the way finally melded together and enabled me to create something unique, individual and ingenious.From sketching, CAD modelling, knowledge of machining and other manufacturing processes, to the maths involved and the reduction of the iterative process of design and prototyping, that was the day it clicked that I could do this, and do it well.But I certainly couldn't be the mechanical designer I am today without all of the tools at my disposal that help to join those dots…

Seeing the first automated machine I had designed sitting in a production line assembling and testing components. To turn your sketches and ideas into real things, just as you had imagined gives you a good feeling.

My happiest mechanical design moment occurred during my senior year of college. I was in the middle of a season of disappointment; my time in college showed me over and over again that I wasn’t nearly as smart as I had once thought. Many of my peers dwarfed me in their vast array of abilities and astounding intelligence, and my GPA was a constant reminder that I was only a mediocre engineering student. I often wondered if I had made a mistake in choosing engineering as my degree field – I had excelled in a number of subjects in high school, but I chose to pursue engineering in college, and engineering school had seemed to be one failure after another.

In the fall of my senior year, I was working with a team of business students in an entrepreneurship class to design and market a product that would be reviewed and critiqued by our class. We toyed with a number of ideas, most of them related to energy production and conservation, but we could not find an idea that everybody could support. I brainstormed for weeks, but none of my ideas or the ideas of my team members seemed realistic or feasible. Then, out of the blue, I had what seemed to be a glorious idea. I pitched it to the team, and while they were all initially hesitant about the idea due to its unusual nature, they decided to go forward with it.

We spent the next month writing our proposals and crunching numbers. I created a model of our product in SolidWorks and began figuring out how much the product would cost to produce. As I began analyzing the potential effectiveness of the product and found that it was going to work better than I expected, it occurred to me that the project had the potential to turn into something much bigger than a simple school assignment. I shared the results of my analysis with my teammates, and they too were excited.

When we pitched the idea to the class, the proposal went very smoothly. We were able to field the questions of our classmates with relative ease, and the class even seemed excited. We were one of twelve other teams, but when it came time for the class to vote on the best proposals and products, we found ourselves baffled – we were voted to have the best proposal and product of any team by a long shot, nearly doubling the votes gained by the second-place team.

It was the happiest mechanical design moment I had ever had, and it was the first glimpse of hope that I had experienced in a long time. I was once again humbled. Though I was not nearly as smart as many of my peers, I had forgotten that God was in control. He blessed me with an idea that was well received, and suddenly I was being heralded by my peers as being a genius. While I was not the best student in the class or even in the top 1/3, God still had a plan for me, and I was grateful that my destiny rested in His hands.

My happiest moment was when I saw the first parts that i worked on. It was amazing because it was a big differece between the virtual reality and the reality. I worked on Porsche Panamera center console so it was very nice.

My happiest mechanical design moment is when I was a young engineer first starting out and I had a mentor that I was working under. It seem to me, at the time, every idea I came up with my mentor would shoot it down. Now don’t get me wrong, he would always give me a good reason why I should come up with another way or idea for accomplishing the task at hand. His famous saying was, “Don’t make the same mistakes I made”. He was trying to teach me to learn from other people what they have done in the past and similar situations and find out what worked and what did not work so well. This also, taught me how I could improve on these past designs and to look at it with another view. I could also use my modern technique and technologies I was taught in school to make better decisions in my designs.
My mentor would tell me I was thinking in the right direction for where I was at in my career, at the time. That I was thinking the same as he, when he was my age (back 30 years earlier). This gave me the incentive to do everything in my power to “Wow” him with some great idea.
I finally made my mentor proud. I did come up with that “great design/idea” and that is when I knew I became part of the proud club of “mechanical design engineers”. That was almost 40 years ago. My mentor never looked at me the same after that moment. He now looked at me as an equal.
I now try to pass onto my young design engineers the encouragement and guidance that I was given those so many years ago, to think outside the box, to know there is more than one way to skin a cat and not to be discouraged if I knock down their so called “brilliant idea’s”, as I have the experience and knowledge and fore thought (and mistakes) to try to steer them to their great potential that I know they possess.

The happiest mechanical design moment I had is when I physically saw and touched the first part and assembly I designed. It was amazing that I could create models and drawings with some amazing software and hardware tools, and a team was there to support and physically build it with me. Tools like 3D CAD and a SpaceMouse together really add a level of high performance to our lives.

Hello, dear collegues. 🙂 I would like to share my stroty with you.
The happiest moment in my mechanical career was when i firstly done a 3D model in CAD software. 🙂 Second happy moment was creation and put to production device according to my guiding idea. Solution was patented (see,please, patent on my LinkedIn profile). Was designed program algorithm for electronic module. This device gives economy for paiment for heating of accomodations using automation and multitariff count of electricity. Today – natural gas, Tonight – electricity. It is very simple and efficient soution. I dont want to grab a lot of your attention in this forum. If it’s interesting for your, I can describe more and more. A lot of people satisfied by my product, because they get enough of benefits. Product look very smart and has the least dimentions in the world between boilers with electric pump and electronics module inside, and mass less for 3 times. When device was showed firstly at the exhibition, my product got so a lot of positive reviews, what i newer expected. I don’t want to say that I’m the best, but I was happy for realising my multitasking skills (mechanical, electrical, computer software). It was realy happiest moment in my designer career ! Because designed by me product turned useful for a lot of people.
You can see more from my works at http://dominanta.kz/?PageName=200
Regards, Iurii Zub.

It was when I helped my friend to write engineering drawing test and he had no clue about the paper until I taught him. It was a blast after, we had snickers and coke, I was a freshman at the Anna University, INDIA.

While in college, I got to design an energy harvesting device for a major supplier for power plant equipment. While the rest of my team can't up with elaborate solutions, I was able to come up with a really simple design. When we presented it to the senior engineers, they were stunned by the simplicity and were wondering why they hadn't thought of it before.

It was the work in my first organisation (Infosys) working for FOMOCO, I was involved in the coat hook design for car interiors and global mat design for FOMOCO. After few years, I saw the parts in ECOSPORT, the designs which i worked on.
I felt really proud and encouraged seeing the parts in place, for the efforts taken on those days working along with the team.

It was my first project in that company. Before I joined, they had a solution in mind and when I joined they briefed me the problem and the solution. The timelines to be met were really tight. However, I wanted to look for other possible solutions before going ahead with implementation. I always start with the thinking that there is a better way of doing things and most often I end up getting one. It happened here as well. I got a solution that was cost effective, quicker to implement and minimum changes. The project got completed ahead of time. Being new to the organisation and able to improve upon an already planned solution gave me lot of confidence and was one of the proud moments, in addition to the award that received for the contribution.

My happiest moment was When iam learning a design software first time ever,
I was good in 2D, 3D hand drawing but I didn’t know how create 3D model in software.
I was so excited to learn the software…
First I learnt 2d design software and then gone through CATIA V5 recently.
It was most happiest time ever before while designing or learning design.

My happiest mechanical design moment was when i worked as BIW Engineer for Jaguar Land Rover and i designed and simulated the operation process with Robcad for the framing gates for Jaguar XE model and F-Pace model. The role of the framing gates is to keep the underbody with bodyside toghether to result a very good geometry of the car. Finally i saw those framing gates in the manufacturing process and i am proud to know that i have a contribution at the manufacturing of these two models of cars.
Thank you.

I was very happy when I started my first job in the field of Medical device design industry. The organization has provided me a 3DConnexion mouse to use. Every one visiting my desk always curious to know about this 3DConnexion mouse and I also feel great to explain them what this device exactly do and how it works. Now I have moved to another organization and really looking to have the same device as its a really great device to work with.

the happiest momement it was what i'm designing. i create engineeregin pakcages with my manager who is much oder than me. usiong 3d software i realize him how quick and easy is design. also i make wary offetn smile on his face and suprise him, when we had a space probelm designnig our euquipment. last week we have a small place to put heat exchanger with vavles, but using solidworks we saw that it was easy…. and every year I have few project with small area and large amoutn of armature to connect.

I work in the field of single-purpose machine design and realization and one of the best moments in an engineering career is when you delivery a work and you can see the custmer's satisfaction without even saying a word. Although on the other hand for me the real success is when I can see the my machine working and/or use by an operator for months or years after the delivery and it's working correctly and the customer still satisfied and operator loves using it. The real deal is the joy on the faces.

In 2014 I designed an artificial arterial heart valve. My colleague inspected my design and commented “How can you specify a tolerance of 200 microns? That is far too small”. I replied, “That is not a tolerance, that is a gap”.

Most of the time while doing work, if I want to refer some technical concepts than I came to this site and get it solved.
One incident I remembered and that was ” Customer asked me about the pneumatic sensor and I am not the expert of it, so infront of the customer I opened this side understand quickly and replied immediately.” This saves my organization image infront of the customer.

My proudest moment was when I was asked to investigate an expensive warranty issue with a pneumatic spring that we used in our product. This problem had been assigned to two other engineers before me with no cause found. I was able to determine the cause of the failures and revise the design to allow the pneumatic spring to operate properly.

One of my happiest moment was when the project I designed was successfull. The paper slitting machine's original uncoiler drum needs to be replaced because it was working bad already. Two options were considered by the management. One was buying from the supplier of this slitting machine which was costly about 75,000 saudi riyals about 20,000 us dollars. And the other option was to be fabricated locally here in Saudi Arabia.It was choosen to be fabricated in our factory. After a lot of options (I didn't refer to the original sample) I proceeded to design the machine. Some of the components are the channel framing, shafting with bearings (detachable), with threaded collar lockings and an adjustable pneumatic braking (fibra brake linings) to control the tension of the paper while being pulled by the slitting machine.After testing and de-bugging the machine was perfected.Our sister company was able to save money and time because we decided to design and fabricate it in our factory. I can say, that the joy of a designer is to see actually his successful design, the fruit of his labor.

I taught myself SolidWorks to better my career in designing aftermarket products in the automotive field. When I switched careers a few years later I was thrust into designing products in the Medical field. A lot of the companies I worked with had products they needed supporting products designed for – and they really didn't know the direction they wanted to go in. It was my job to get as much info from them – the environment our products would be used in, electric requirements, etc – and then create products to support theirs by relying on my imagination and my design skills. It was a real trip and super rewarding. Nothing like working without a net!!!!

My "happiest mechanical design moment" was in a desert. As one of three Engineers on a small team hired to design and build from scratch a military demonstrator vehicle for downed pilot rescue and special forces use. Picture a boaderline ridiculous requirement specification made as a wishlist compilation of all major branches and elite groups in the US armed forces. Coordination of multiple contract engineers and fabrication artists from the Motorsports and Aerospace worlds supported on many 20+ hour days. A 10 month race pace whirlwind of prototype vehicle design in hydro-formed chromoly sheetmetal, TIG welding, suspension, drivetrain, chassis, body, and armament culminated in the dust and dirt when I was allowed to drive this multi-million dollar creation and witness and realize the performance and goal we had achieved! Success and a great feeling of patriotism.

I'm a student finishing up my BSME this term, I would say my happiest moment was when my I got my father a spacemouse. Last summer I had an internship where I used a spacemouse to help design parts in NX 10. After my internship ended, I had to get myself a spacemouse. Once it finally came, I showed it to my father who works in construction. He thought it was the coolest thing ever, and loved to use it to model stuff for work when I wasn't using it. For Father's day, I got him a spacemouse navigator. When he removed the wrapping paper he was like a kid on Christmas. This 48 year old man looked at me with a sparkle in his eyes saying "Is this really it?!? Is this what's in the box!?" He had huge smile across his face with excitement when I told him it was. I will have this memory for life! Thank you 3dconnexion!

I am a mechanical designer in the weld department at Honda EGA and I had the unique opportunity to design the equipment that holds the entire NSX frame in place while two robots on RTUS weld and Spot Rivet the frame together. Honda honored my accomplishment by letting me and others who worked on the car drive the NSX on the TRC test track.

The best moment was the first prize and the appreciation I received in the e-Baja SAEINDIA Competition.
About competition, everyone is familiar with the college competition call Mimi Baja.
e-Baja is the electric version of the same.

Special part of the achievement was, the efforts put in it. I had no experience with the design competition. Actually I never imagined myself as a designer before the event. As I was in the senior year I led the design team.

My journey started from learning all the analysis softwares. Ansys, Hypermesh, Adams (thanks to YouTube).

CAD is in my genes, first cad software I ever learnt was AutoCAD, in very young age (5th grade), from my father he is an Architect. I was very good at the CAD softwares.

I was a long way to success. Many lessons learnt, many parts designed and analyzed.

And finally the success.
Judges loved our design, and appreciated the efforts in validating and presenting the design.

My happiest mechanical design moment is when I am working on some new concepts without any related experience, and I figure out how one parts affect to each other, and finally build up a complete structure of the design process and rules for designing the product.

In my third year at college, I got a wonderful opportunity to work with a startup as their CAD Designer on a Bio- Mechanical project. My first task was to make the 3D model of a cartilage, which as you know has a complex shape. Luckily physiologists had studied cartilages in our bone joints well and standard, bio- compatible parts that are used for replacement existed. I measured the major dimensions first, using vernier calipers, and then mapped the complex profile using a micrometer, with the flat base as the reference. Using all the measured data, the next step was finding methods to draw it using the features available on SolidWorks. An approximate shape was created in SolidWorks, and the complex profiles were completed using Catia.The experience taught me what it is to like to make a mimetic CAD model. Though the project posed many more challenges later on, the happiest moment was when i realised that I had been sculpting all the while, sculpting being the basis of all machining processes.

My best times ? My best moment was to see happy, returning, customer, more then satisfied with my low cost test stand which design and build in less then two weeks. Except that, best moments are those when you have possibility to design and then build things, and learn in the process.Keep it nice my friends.

My happiest mechanical design moments happen when I'm able to impart my design experience and know-how to younger less experienced engineers. Watching them realize they're getting an invaluable lesson that they would have never learned in school is satisfying and fulfilling.

My most fulfilling moment (so far) was about 6 months ago when we manufactured a turntable which I designed for changing out head tooling on our larger blow molding machines. It’s based on a design our production manager used a few years ago at a previous job. Sturdy steel tube frame with a detachable safety cage designed to OSHA standards. It has a large disk built to handle up to 24″ diameter die rings and mandrels. That is fastened onto a shaft linked directly in-line with a heavy duty electric gear motor that turns the disk at low rpm/high torque. I also designed a sheet steel toolbox and motor control panel right in the front so the operator can access tools and controls while keeping his eyes on the head tooling. It’s built to load onto our larger fork truck with redundant safety measures to prevent sliding and twisting under load.

The best part was seeing it built in our shop. Our guys did an amazing job and it looks even better than I imagined with the paint job! This was my first BIG design project at this employer and it got me pumped for many more down the road!

Oh, and it works like a dream! One process engineer is a bit reluctant to use it, but the production manager was impressed with it and is excited to use it for years to come! 😄

I would say the best feeling is seeing the completed design. Working with different disciplines you don't get to see the full model till later down the road. When it's all together, you just get that feeling of accomplishment. Of course once built its even more satisfying

When I was in college and I did not have access to the manufacturing department as I do now. Then I made CAD designs and let an online 3D printing company print them for me. To have it in your hands for the first time is very special. The design freedom you have is so much more than with regular manufacturing. Still, this was a good preparation for my current job as a design engineer.

Learning about mechanical design has inspired me into knowing that the designs I make will help and assist in the well being of my fellow country men, help the unprivileged and save the environment which is one of the main issues that designers have to live with today.

Growing up we didn't have a lot, my parents couldn't afford to get me all the toys that my friends had but my dad helped me to make some things, like a trailer for my toy pedal tractor and he made sure I had tools and taught me a lot. Looking back now I never really wanted for anything . . .with one exception (and it was a big one), I really wanted an ATV (quad bike) – even a second hand one was more expensive than our family car so it was never going to happen. My parents did however support and encourage me through education and university. My first job as a graduate engineer was with a company that produces ATV's and my first project was to design a diesel ATV. My happiest and proudest moments as an engineer were firing up that diesel engine (1 litre) in my prototype for the first time, taking it on a test drive and leaving my boss in a cloud of dust on the branded ATV we were using as a benchmarkCouldn't help but think of the saying 'give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime' That moment was also a realisation for me of how much my parents had done for me and how lucky I was

My favorite moment was amazing. It came during an interview. They were asking about my previous job as a crane designer. While driving in I recognized one of the cranes working on a new building on their campus. So I suggested it’ll be easier if we walked out and I showed them. The terminology would be easier to understand and they could see exactly what I made. It was very impressive since I even remember that particular machine. It had some problems and needed some additional work.
Sadly while it was an great moment, I didn’t take the job. It wasn’t what I was expecting.

At the first time I showed My boss how 3D CAD can help creating drawing documentation and manufacturing, he was very exited, then the next week he shocked me when he put a 3D Connexion mouse (Space Navigator) on My table. Until now I enjoying use it to do My activity, from make 3D model, drawing & CNC Programing.

After graduating from ITT-Tech, and working at a dead end "assembly line" type design job for five years I landed a design job an actual design job in my home town. Now I have opportunities to have my ideas, and designs considered for production, and prototyping.

I work in a company that manufactures equipment for the aquaculture industry … and have many moments that filled me with pride and happiness …. like when I designed my first prototype, or when I modify and improve an existing design achieving a solution for that the company would not lose thousands of dollars … also when I see how my models are produced and sold in the industry …. but when I felt very happy …. was when several of my computers the combine with a colleague in a system that measures 20 feet, and this was transported to the customer. thanks

I work design engeneer. I design non-standard equipment. I create many drawings and 3D models I think that the best solution of problem is very simple the solution. Everybody eat ice-cream. Very often ice-cream is given sphere's shapes . Special mechanical spoon take ice-cream from tank and make it sphere's shapes. My task was designing handed mechanism. It have to take and and throw out portion of cement very fast and simple. Special mechanical spoon to ice-cream was great solution for my task. Simple, technological, economic, amazing solution.

Four years ago, I started my career as mechanical design engineer but to this day, my happiest and proudest moment is my first project that I did after graduation. I was working on prototype for Parabolic Tracking Solar Concentrator (http://www.aedesign.com.pk/energySolarInvictus53S.html) with a lead engineer. My job was to design all the piping and instrumentation for the system while his was working on the design of heat exchanger.

I managed design the piping layouts, instrumentation and insulation system. Calculated all flow losses and required flow/pressure for the system. Finally, based on the results I took the leap of faith and ordered the required pump online since it was not available locally. As the pump arrived, my heart starting to beat heavily as it was the smallest pump I have seen physically. I started to have doubts my results.

Anyway, a week later we assembled the design and we were ready for testing. The moment, we switched on the pump …. There was no flow coming out of the system! I was shocked, nervous and feeling embarrassed but kept my composure. I asked the technicians to disassemble the system and test the components individually. Later that day, we found the welding defect in the heat exchanger and it was blocked. We rectified the heat exchanger and reassembled the system.

Now, it was second moment of truth. Fingers crossed, heart pounding fast …. I switched on the pump and with couple of seconds delay. Steam started to come out of the system, though, not a very fine quality but the prototype worked. Till this day, I have the best feeling as an engineer about the moment.

One my happiest moments (in design…and life for that matter) was seeing my first product through release and manufacturing and then finding it out in the wild with my wife and being able to point to it and tell her, "look at that, I DESIGNED that product. I MADE it REAL.".

Besides working in the office, I use to work as a freelancer at home. I work in Inventor and at office we all have 3Dconnexion mice. And of the happiest moment was when I was allowed to take my 3d mouse from office to home when I need it 🙂 In Inventor it's very hard to work without a 3d mouse. People who work in Inventor can confirm that I think 🙂

After a few months of starting my first design role as a graduate my parents told me of a time when I was around the age of 3 that they had watched me dismantle a Fisher-Price cassette player completely and rebuild it, using my Dads tools of course, with only 1 error; I forgot to put one of the springs for the buttons back in 🙁 (I guess I was trying to reduce the number of parts required). After being told this, I knew I was born to be a Mechanical Design Engineer! Several years on I am even more curious on how things work and just for the record I have now got my own tools.

Congratulations to you both. 3Dconnexion have been informed and will ship the prizes to you shortly. I'll email you when they're on the way. Thanks to everyone who took part. It was great to read so many happy stories.